Book 2 Part 3 Chapter 18 (Chapter 121 Overall)

Chapter Summaries: Dole: The gossip Bitsky. Account of the Imperial Council. Prince Andrei dines en famille with Speransky. The laughing statesmen, --Magnitsky, Gervais, and Stoluipin. Funny stories. Prince Andrei's disappointment in Speransky.
Briggs: Andrey visits Speransky and is disillusioned by his vacuous character.
Maude: Bitski calls on Prince Andrew. Dinner at Speranski's. Prince Andrew's disillusionment with him and his reforms
Pevear and Volkhonsky: Prince Andrei at Speransky's the next day. Disillusionment.

Translation:

XVIII. On the next day Prince Andrey remembered yesterday’s ball, but not for long had it stopped in his thoughts. "Yes, very brilliant was the ball. And more... yes, Rostov is an extreme sweetheart. Something in her is fresher, special, not Petersburg, distinguishing her." Here is all that he thought about yesterday’s ball, and drinking tea, sat down for work. Yet from fatigue or insomnia the day was bad for activities, and Prince Andrey could do nothing, he criticized all of his work, as often happened with him, and was glad when he heard that someone had arrived. The arrived was Bitsky, serving in the institution of commissions, happening in all societies of Petersburg, a passionate admirer of the new ideas of Speransky and an anxious messenger in Petersburg, one of those people which choose directions as they dress — by fashion, but which appear the hottest in partisan directions. He was concerned, barely having time to take off his hat, and ran in to Prince Andrey and immediately started to speak. He had only found out the details of the meetings of the state council in the morning, opened by the sovereign, and with delight talked about this. The speech of the sovereign was extraordinary. This was one of those speeches that was pronounced only by constitutional monarchs. "The sovereign said that the advice of the senate is the crux of government estates; he said that the governing body must have a foundation not in arbitrariness, but a solid beginning. The sovereign said that finances must be transformed and reports public," Bitsky talked, hitting on the famous words and opening his eyes wide. — Yes, currently the event of the era, the greatest era in our history, — he concluded. Prince Andrey listened to the story about the opening of the state council, which he saw with such impatience and to which he attributed such importance, and was surprised that this event now, when it was subjected, not only did not touch him, but was presented to him as more than insignificant. He with quiet mockery listened to the enthusiastic story of Bitsky. To himself a simple idea came to his head: "What business is it to Bitsky and I, what business is it to us that the sovereign says anything in advice? Will all this make me happier and better?" And this simple reasoning suddenly destroyed for Prince Andrey all former interest in the committed transformations. On this same day Prince Andrey was to have dinner at Speransky’s friendly circle,508 as said the master to him, inviting him. The dinner in the family and friendly circle of men, which he so delighted, before extremely interested Prince Andrey, more by that before he still had not seen Speransky in the home of his everyday life; but now he did not want to go. At the appointed hour for dinner, however, Prince Andrey now entered on his own to the small house of Speransky in the Tavrichesky garden. In the parquet dining room of the short house, distinguished by extraordinary cleanliness (reminding one of monastic cleanliness) Prince Andrey, somewhat late, now found at five all the gathered society of this petit comité (friendly circle), the intimate acquaintances of Speransky. There were no girls besides the little daughter Speransky (with a long face, similar to her father) and her governess. The visitors were Gervais, Magnitsky and Stolypin. Still from the front Prince Andrey heard the loud voices and resonant, distinct laughter — laughter, similar to that laughing on the stage. Some voice, similar to the voice of Speransky, clearly beat: ha... ha... ha...Prince Andrey had never heard the laughter of Speransky, and this resonant, small laugh of the stately man weirdly struck him. Prince Andrey entered into the dining room. All of the society stood between two windows at a short table with snacks. Speransky in a gray tailcoat with stars, obviously still in that white vest and high white tie which he was in at the famous meeting of the state council, with a fun face stood at the table. The visitors surrounded him. Magnitsky was turned to Mihail Mihaylovich, telling an anecdote. Speransky listened, forward laughing at what Magnitsky would say. At that time as Prince Andrey entered into the room, the words of Magnitsky again were drowned out by laughter: the loud bass of Stolypin, chewing a piece of bread with cheese; the quiet hissing laugh of Gervais, and the thin, clear laugh of Speransky. Speransky, still laughing at all, gave Prince Andrey his white, tender hand. — I am very glad to see you, prince, — he said. — One minute... — he turned to Magnitsky, interrupting his story. — in us is now an agreement: dinner for pleasure, or words about affairs. — and he again turned to the narrator, and again burst out laughing. Prince Andrey with surprise and the sadness of disappointment listened to his laugh and watched the laughing Speransky. This was not Speransky, but a different person, it seemed to Prince Andrey. All that before mysteriously and attractively presented Prince Andrey in Speransky, suddenly became to him clear and unattractive. Behind the table conversation for a moment did not fall silent and consisted as if from gathered funny anecdotes. Still Magnitsky did not have time to finish off his story, as already someone different announced their readiness to say something that was still funnier. The anecdotes for the most part touched not on the service world itself, but on the persons of service. It seemed that in this society the insignificance of these persons was finally decided, and that the only attitude to give them could be a good-naturedly comic one. Speransky told of how in the advice of today's morning to the question at a deaf dignitary about his opinion, this dignitary responded that he had the same opinions. Gervais told the whole business about the revisions of the wonderful nonsense of all acting persons. Stolypin stutteringly intervened in the conversation and with fervor started to speak about the abuses of the former order of things, threatening to give conversation of a serious character. Magnitsky began to mock the fervor of Stolypin and Gervais inserted an accepted thing of conversation to get it again to the former, fun direction. Obviously, Speransky after work loved to relax and have some fun in his buddy circle, and all his visitors, understanding his wish, tried to amuse him and themselves in having fun. But this fun seemed to Prince Andrey heavy and sad. The small sound of the voice of Speransky unpleasantly hit him, and the unceasing fake note of his for some reason insulted the feeling of Prince Andrey. Prince Andrey did not laugh and was afraid that he would be heavy for this society. But no one noticed his inconsistent general mood. To all, it seemed very funny. He a few times desired to march into conversation, but any time his words were thrown out, as a cork from water; and he could not joke together with them. Nothing was evil or inappropriate in what they said, everything was witty and could be funny; but something of itself, that form of salty fun, not only was not, but they did not know what it was. After dinner the daughter of Speransky with her governess got up. Speransky caressed his daughter’s white hand, and kissed her. And this gesture seemed unnatural to Prince Andrey. The men, by English, stayed behind the table and behind port wine. In the middle started a conversation about the Spanish deeds of Napoleon, approvingly, all were one and the same opinion, and Prince Andrey began to contradict them. Speransky smiled and, obviously wishing to reject the conversation from the adopted directions, told an anecdote not having relationship to the conversation. For a few moments all fell silent. After sitting behind the table, Speransky clogged the bottle of wine and said: "Now good wine goes in boots," giving it to the servant and getting up. All got up and also noisy talking went into the living room. Speransky gave two envelopes brought by the courier. He took them and passed into the office. Only as he got out, the common fun fell silent and the visitors judiciously and quietly began to talk with each other. — Well, now the declamation! — said Speransky, exiting from the office. — An astonishing talent! — he turned to Prince Andrey. Magnitsky immediately the same began a pose and started to speak in French joking poems, composing them with some famous persons of Petersburg, and a few times was interrupted by applause. Prince Andrey, by the end of the poems, came up to Speransky, saying goodbye with him. — Where are you to so early? — said Speransky. — I promised to be at an evening... They kept silent. Prince Andrey watched close at this mirrored, opaque to himself eye and to him it had become funny how he could wait for something from Speransky and from his activities be bound with him, and how he could attribute importance to what Speransky did. This tidy, unhappy laugh for long did not stop being heard in the ears of Prince Andrey after he left from Speransky. Returning home, Prince Andrey began to remember his Petersburg life for these four months, as if something new. He remembered his chores, seekers, the story of his project of military regulations, which was adopted to a note and about which he tried to keep silent only because of how another work that was very bad, was already made and presented to the sovereign; he remembered about the meetings of the committee, a member of which was Berg; he remembered how at these meetings he carefully and continuously discussed all concerning the forms and process of the meetings of the committee, and how carefully and briefly he treated all that touched the entities of affairs. He remembered his legislative work, about how he was concerned in translating into the Russian tongue articles of the Roman and French code, and he had become ashamed for himself. Then he lively represented to himself Bogucharovo, his lessons in the village, his trip to the Ryazan, remembered his peasants, the headman Dron, and the attached to him right persons which he distributed by paragraphs, he had become surprised at how he could for so long engage in such idle work. 508 "en petit comité", ("in a small committee",)
Time: the following day
Mentioned: last four months

Locations: Speranski's small house near the Tauric Garden
Mentioned: St. Petersburg (also Petersburgian (Petersburg-like in Maude, Dunnigan, and Mandelker.)), English (Englishman in Briggs), Spanish (Spain in Bell, Briggs, and Dole.), Roman, French, Bogucharovo, Ryazan

Pevear and Volokhonsky Notes:

Andrei puts the ball aside, not dwelling on it. Alexander has made a speech affirming the ideas of Speransky and Andrei, but Andrei "marveled that this event, now that it had taken place, not only did not move him, but seemed less
than insignificant." He thinks, "Can any of it make me happier and better?"

"Speransky's modest private house: This scene is based on the memoirs of Speransky's daughter, published in The Life of Count Speransky, by M.A. Korf (1861), which was in Tolstoy's library at Yasnaya Polyana. Tolstoy adds an
ironic tone that is not found in Korf's book."

Speransky and others are having a party, and Speransky says "We've agreed that tonight will be a dinner for pleasure and not a word about business."

"Prince Andrei listened to his laughter and looked at the laughing Speransky with surprise and sad disappointment. This was not Speransky but antoher man, as it seemed to Prince Andrei."

Andrei walked in late at this party and disapproved, just like the opening Pavlovna soiree. Everyone is happy and having a good time, but Andrei can't. For him, everything seems unnatural.

Andrei leaves the party and feels that everything he has done has been empty and meaningless, like he had wasted his time.

Characters (characters who do not appear, but are mentioned are placed in italics. First appearances are in Bold. First mentions are underlined. Final appearance denoted by *):

Prince Andrei

Natasha ("the little Rostof girl")

Bitsky ("Bitski" in Maude and Wiener, an alternative reading)

Mikhail Mikhailovitch Speransky

Emperor Alexander ("sovereign" and "emperor")

Speransky's daughter

Her governess (Dole uses "guvernantka" later)

Gervais (Dole's occasional, but not consistent, "Zhervais" is an alternative reading)

Magnitsky

Stoluipin ("Stolypin" in Mandelker, Wiener, Edmonds, and Briggs. "Stolipine" in Bell.)

Napoleon

Berg

(Andrei thinks about his serfs and his head man late in the chapter)

Abridged Versions:

Chapter 7 in Bell. No break.
Gibian: Chapter 10.

Fuller: Entire chapter is cut, continuing to remove all of the Speransky subplot and removing all indecision about Natasha for Andrei.

Komroff: Entire chapter is cut

Kropotkin: Entire chapter is cut.
Simmons: Chapter 10: Entire chapter is cut and replaced with "Prince Andrew, under the subtle influence of his meeting with Natasha and also because of a deeper understanding of the personalities of Speranski and his henchmen,
becomes disillusioned with his government work on reform legislation and years for the quiet life of his estate at Bogucharovo."

Additional Notes:

Mandelker: "Magnitsky...was accused of making away with an enormous sum of money and was dismissed from the service."

Maude: "During the reign of Alexander's successor, Nicholas I, however, Speranski tabulated the existing laws of Russia into an edition of forty-five volumes that effectively gave Russia a legal system comparable with those
of Western nations."

Maude (Norton): "It is not difficult to see that Tolstoy has attributed to Prince Andrew his own relation to such attempts as Speranski's. The last words of this section indicate that while the peasant masses remained serfs
they presented a formidable obstacle to the introduction of any enlightened system of jurispudence or government, but it was an idiosyncrasy of Tolstoy's to regard such attempts at political reform as fundamentally futile
because "how can all that possibly make men happier or better?" Concerned as Tolstoy was, in his own way, with the welfare of mankind, his outlook was intensely individualistic and he profoundly distrusted political movements."

Troyat: Page 315: "Pogodin expressed a far more critical view of the same novel in an article in The Russian: "What the novelist absolutely cannot be forgiven is his offhand treatment of figures such as Bagration, Speransky, Rostopchin and Ermolov, who belong to history. To study their lives and then judge them on the basis of evidence is all well and good; but to present them, without any reason, as ignoble or even repellent, mere outlines and silhouettes of men, is in my opinion an act of unpardonable irresponsibly and provocation, even in an author of great talent."

Crankshaw: Page 228: Tolstoy’s formidable technique is brought unscrupulously and crushing to bear on the unfortunate figure of Count M.M. Speransky, who lives in history as one of the handful of men around the young Alexander who toiled devotedly to draft far-reaching, desperately needed constitutional reforms. The passages about Speransky are brief and totally dismissive. Tolstoy uses his superb evocative skill to destroy him….in Tolstoy’s eyes he did not belong to the great family. He was an outsider, as Napoleon was an outsider, because although benevolent in intention he shared Napoleon’s belief that action could achieve foreseen results.”

Page 230: “As though the movement and object of all human activity must be to secure the personal well-being and happiness of Prince Andrew Bolkonsky. What is one to say of egocentricity pushed to this degree? It is the voice of Tolstoy himself. It is a most disconcerting voice. We remember those diaries and letters, with their obsessional concern for the pursuit of personal happiness. Even the quest for moral perfection, for auto-beatification, is powered by the unappeasable desire for happiness. And this adolescent conception of happiness remained with him until the end when, in his eighty-third year, he ran away from Sonya and Yasnaya, still in pursuit of happiness.”

Palmer: (page 50) Peter the Great had established the Senate in 1711 which, for more than two centuries, served as the ultimate judicial and administrative body in the Empire: but the Tsar nominated every Senator, and the responsibilities of the Senate were so defined and amended by successive rulers in the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries that it could never threaten the constitutional structure of the State.”

Letters (Christian) (page 7): Page 7: “I came to Petersburg without any reason, and have done nothing sensible here at all; I’ve only run through a pile of money and got into debt.”

Speirs (page 37): Andrew is determined on a life of action again. He makes precisely the same mistakes as before. Again he demands too much. Again he puts his faith in enlightened leadership, again he looks for great men to attach himself to...In Russia, which is now carried away with enthusiasm for Napoleonic methods, the figure that is worshipped is Speranski the reformer”